The increasing diversity of people in the cities due to global processes like immigration makes the cities multicultural. However, multicultural cities become prone to conflicts as the citizens of different cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds are put together in the city. Citizens are divided into neighborhoods where some neighborhoods become concentrated with low-income citizens, mostly with immigrant backgrounds. Planners have been working with the policies like social mix housing policy to mitigate segregation. However, with time the conflicts and tension remain visible among the citizens and neighborhoods. Research has been focusing on the larger metropolitan areas of Sweden, so this study focuses on medium-sized cities, Linköping, Motala and Norrköping, through analysis of planning documents and interviews with the planners to assess the impact of planning practice in mitigating segregation. The results show that planners ignore the ethnic differences between citizens in their planning practice and base their planning on avoiding conflicts. While in the process, ethnically diverse groups are excluded and, in some cases, stigmatized.

No description available.

In 2016, the European commission started an investigation with the intention of finding a strategy on how to direct capital towards sustainable investments. This investigation resulted in a framework that contributed with guidelines and key recommendations to different actors within the financial system. These guidelines and recommendations were then followed by a direct action-plan, in which it was emphasized that a harmonized and clear definition of sustainability was necessary to sufficiently apply these propositions on EU basis. Thus, the proposal of the EU Taxonomy (European Commission, 2018b). The new institutional regulation has created certain concerns within the construction and real estate sector, where actors indicate that some or several of the economic activities within the sector might face certain challenges in becoming Taxonomy aligned. As the EU Taxonomy has recently been disclosed, there is still little existing research associated with the new regulation and its potential impact on actors within the market. This study therefore aims to contribute to this research gap by studying the potential challenges companies within the construction- and real estate sector, namely residential developing companies, are facing when the EU Taxonomy enters legislation. This study has been conducted in accordance with a qualitative method, using semi-structured interviews to collect data. Targeted participants in the study have been industry employees within the positions of development managers, sustainable managers, and financial managers, or similar, this to get a grasp of the three important perspectives that relates to the implementation of the EU Taxonomy: the technical-, organizational- and economic perspective.Based on the result of this study there are some identified factors that may cause certain challenges for the residential developer when practically implementing the technical screening criteria outlined in the EU Taxonomy. These factors are associated with residential developers' previous experience of certain sustainable measures, the complex nature of implementing sustainable measures in construction projects and the formation of the EU Taxonomy itself. The challenges facing the residential developer is therefore derived to be both the challenge of understanding the criteria outlined in the new regulation, just as well as realizing these criteriain practice. / År 2016 inledde Europeiska kommissionen en utredning med avsikt att hitta en strategi för hur man riktar kapital mot hållbara investeringar. Undersökningen resulterade i ett ramverk som bidrog med riktlinjer och viktiga rekommendationer till olika aktörer inom det finansiella systemet. Dessa riktlinjer och rekommendationer följdes därefter av en direkt handlingsplan, där det betonades att en harmoniserad och tydlig definition av hållbarhet var nödvändig för att i tillräcklig utsträckning tillämpa dessa förslag på EU basis. Från detta växte förslaget till EU:s nya Taxonomi fram (Europeiska kommissionen, 2018b). Den nya institutionella förordningen har skapat viss oro inom fastighetsbranschen, där aktörer indikerar att flera av de ekonomiska aktiviteterna inom sektorn kan möta viss utmaning vidimplementeringen av de presenterade kriterierna. Eftersom EU:s Taxonomi nyligen har framtagits finns det fortfarande lite existerande forskning relaterat till förordningen samt dess potentiella inverkan på marknadens aktörer. Denna studie syftar därför till att bidra till ökad förståelse för EU:s nya Taxonomi, detta genom att studera potentiella utmaningar som företag inom fastighetsbranschen, närmare bestämt bostadsutvecklingsföretag, står inför när EU:s nyaTaxonomi träder i kraft. Studien genomfördes enligt en kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Deltagare i studien har varit utvecklingschefer, hållbarhetschefer och ekonomichefer, eller anställda med liknande positioner inom fastighetsbranschen. Urvalen syftar till att få en förståelse för de tre viktiga perspektiven som rör implementeringen av EU:s nya Taxonomi nämligen det tekniska, organisatoriska- och ekonomiska perspektivet. Resultatet av denna studie visar på ett flertal faktorer som kan orsaka utmaningar för bostadsutvecklaren vid implementeringen av EU:s nya Taxonomi. Dessa faktorer relaterar bland annat till bostadsutvecklares tidigare kunskap och erfarenhet av olika hållbarhetsåtgärder, bostadsutvecklingsprojekts komplexa natur samt utformningen av Taxonomin. De utmaningar som bostadsutvecklaren står inför är således både utmaningen att förstå de kriterier som anges i den nya förordningen, liksom att realisera dessa kriterier i praktiken.

This study explores the understanding of the concept ecosystem services (ES) within Swedish land developers with a focus on knowledge, drivers and interests, practical experience, as well as challenges land developers experience for the implementation of solutions providing ecosystem services in projects. The research is based on interviews to representatives of eight land developers operating in Sweden and completed by the interviews of representatives from two consultancy companies. In addition to this, tools, methods and certifications systems available in the Swedish context for working with ES in detailed planning, land allocation, and further steps of a development project are analyzed from a user’s perspective based on a literature study and interviews results. The results show an important heterogeneity among developers, with different levels of knowledge and experience depending on the type of developer. Build and manage, well-established companies with a sound sustainability policy appear to be forerunners, whereas size, type of buildings managed, geographical implantation or private/public ownership showed little relevance. Both proactive and reactive attitudes towards ES were detected, the role of municipalities setting ES requirements being a major driver for ES implementation, together with the company’s sustainability policy and business opportunities. The fragmented panorama of available tools for ES implementation and the lack of available inventories explains the little knowledge and experience developers showed about existing tools. If GYF and ESTER tools are used, there is as of today a lack of a reference tool at national level, setting recognized standards for ES implementation. The research results suggest a need for a nationally recognized reference tool, simple to use, serving as a basis for dialogue, allowing scenario comparison at early phases, and including a cost perspective. Certification systems appear as a possible way forward, but further and comprehensive integration of the concept is still needed. / Denna studie undersöker förståelsen av begreppet ekosystemtjänster (ES) bland svenska fastighetsutvecklare, med fokus på kunskap, drivkrafter och intressen, praktisk erfarenhet, samt utmaningar fastighetsutvecklare upplever för implementering av lösningar som tillhandahåller ekosystemtjänster i projekt. Forskningen bygger på intervjuer med representanter för åtta byggherrar som är verksamma i Sverige och kompleteras av intervjuer med representanter från två konsultföretag. Utöver detta analyseras verktyg, metoder och certifieringssystem i svenskt sammanhang för att arbeta med ES i detaljplanering, markfördelning och ytterligare steg i utvecklingsprojekt. Analysen utförs utifrån en användares perspektiv baserat på en litteraturstudie och intervjuresultat. Resultaten visar en stor heterogenitet bland fastighetsutvecklare, med olika kunskapsnivåer och erfarenheter beroende på typ av utvecklare. Företag som bygger och förvaltar, väletablerade företag med en sund hållbarhetspolicy verkar vara föregångare, medan företags storlek, område, typ av byggnader som hanteras, eller ägandeform (privat/offentlig) visade låg relevans. Både proaktiva och reaktiva attityder till ES upptäcktes. Kommunernas roll, som ställer ES-krav är en av de viktigaste drivkraft för ES- implementering, tillsammans med företagets hållbarhetspolicy och affärsmöjligheter. Det fragmenterade panorama över tillgängliga verktyg för ES-implementering och bristen på verktygs referenslista förklarar den lilla kunskap och erfarenhet utvecklare visade om befintliga verktyg. Även om GYF- ESTER- verktyg delvis används, saknas det idag ett referensverktyg på nationell nivå som sätter erkända standarder för ES- implementering. Forskningresultaten tyder på ett behov av ett nationellt erkänt referensverktyg, enkelt att använda, som ger en bas för dialog, vilket möjliggör jämförelse av scenarier i tidiga faser och som inkluderar ett kostnadsperspektiv. Certifieringsystem framstår som en möjlig väg framåt, men ytterligare och omfattande integration av begreppet ES behövs fortfarande.

During the last fifteen years, the professional architecture literature has encouraged practicing architects to increase their involvement in real estate development. Such participation may take several forms ranging from early conceptual development to financial investment. A typical scenario involves a developer asking the architect to forgo all or part of his professional fee in return for an investment interest in the project. However, the literature has done little to equip these novice architects/investors with the practical tools necessary to make informed investment decisions. If an architect is considering such an investment, he must do so with an understanding of what he is giving up and what he can expect in terms of future benefits. / M. Arch.

by Lee King-fai, Wong Wing-cheung. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 82-85.

Abstract Modern software development must adapt to demanding schedules while keeping the software at a high level of quality. Agile software development has been adopted in recent years to meet such a need. Test-driven development (TDD) is one practice that has arisen within the agile software development movement that leverages unit tests to develop software in incremental cycles. TDD supporters claim that the practice increases the productivity of the practitioners who employ it, as well as the internal and external quality of the software they develop. In order to validate or refute such claims, the software engineering research community has studied TDD for the last decade; the results of the empirical studies on the effects of TDD have been mostly inconclusive. This dissertation has studied two factors that may impact the manifestation of the claimed effects of TDD on software’s external quality and developers’ productivity: the developers’ conformance to the process (i.e., their ability to follow TDD) and their skills. The research was performed in four phases. In the first phase, the literature was reviewed to identify a set of factors that have been considered to affect TDD. In the second phase, two experiments were executed within academia. A total of 77 students at the University of Oulu, took part in the studies. These experiments investigated the quality of the software, as well as the subject’s productivity with respect to their programming and testing skills. A follow-up study, using data collected during the second experiment, explored the relation between the quality, productivity and the subjects’ process conformance. In the third phase, four industrial experiments, involving 30 professional, were performed. Process conformance and skills were investigated in relation to the TDD’s effects on external quality and productivity. The fourth phase synthesized the evidence gathered in the two previous phases. The results show that TDD is not associated with improvements in external quality, or developers’ productivity. Further, improvements in both external quality and productivity are associated with skills, rather than with the process, at least in the case of professional developers. Hence, process conformance has a negligible impact. The productivity of novice developers, on the other hand, can benefit from the test-first approach promoted by TDD. / Tiivistelmä Modernin ohjelmistokehityksen täytyy mukautua haastaviin aikatauluihin säilyttäen ohjelmistojen korkea laatu. Ketterä ohjelmistokehitys on viime vuosina omaksuttu tähän tarpeeseen ja suuntauksessa on saanut alkunsa testivetoisen kehityksen käytäntö, joka hyödyntää yksikkötestausta ohjelmiston inkrementaalisessa, syklisessä kehityksessä. Testivetoisen kehityksen puolestapuhujat väittävät tämän käytännön lisäävän ohjelmistokehittäjien tuottavuutta sekä ohjelmiston sisäistä ja ulkoista laatua. Ohjelmistotuotannon tutkimusyhteisö on tutkinut testivetoista kehitystä viimeisen vuosikymmenen aikana vahvistaakseen tai kumotakseen nämä väitteet. Empiiriset tutkimukset testivetoisen kehityksen vaikutuksista ohjelmistotuotantoon ovat suurelta osin tuloksettomia. Tämä väitöstyö tutkii kahta tekijää, jotka voivat vaikuttaa testivetoisen kehityksen väitettyjen vaikutusten ilmentymiseen ohjelmiston ulkoisena laatuna ja ohjelmistokehittäjien tuottavuutena: ohjelmistokehittäjien taitoja ja prosessin mukaista toimintaa. Tutkimus toteutettiin neljässä vaiheessa. Ensimmäisessä vaiheessa tehtiin kirjallisuuskatsaus, jolla selvitettiin tekijöitä, joiden on katsottu vaikuttavan testivetoiseen kehitykseen. Toisessa vaiheessa tehtiin Oulun yliopistolla kaksi koetta, joihin osallistui kaikkiaan 77 opiskelijaa. Kokeissa tutkittiin ohjelmiston laadun ja osallistujien tuottavuuden suhdetta heidän ohjelmointi- ja testaustaitoihinsa. Toisen kokeen aikana kerättyä aineistoa hyödynnettiin jatkotutkimuksessa, jossa tarkasteltiin laadun, tuottavuuden ja prosessin mukaisen toiminnan suhdetta. Kolmannessa vaiheessa tehtiin neljä koetta, joihin osallistui 30 ohjelmistoalan ammattilaista. Prosessin mukaista toimintaa ja taitoja tutkittiin suhteessa testivetoisen kehityksen vaikutuksiin ohjelmiston ulkoiseen laatuun ja tuottavuuteen. Neljännessä vaiheessa syntetisoitiin kahden edellisen vaiheen löydökset. Tulokset osoittavat, ettei testivetoinen kehitys liity ulkoisen laadun parantumiseen eikä ohjelmistokehittäjien tuottavuuteen. Parannukset laadussa ja tuottavuudessa liittyvät ennemmin taitoihin kuin prosessiin, ainakin ohjelmistokehityksen ammattilaisten kohdalla. Näin ollen prosessin mukaisella toiminnalla on vähäpätöinen vaikutus. Toisaalta testivetoisen kehityksen suosiman test-first-menettelytavan hyödyntäminen voi edistää aloittelevien ohjelmistokehittäjien tuottavuutta.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of the study was to identify an effective and appropriate framework or process for evaluation of software developers. Critical review of existing literature on the subject revealed that there are various factors that influence the evaluation of software developers for employment including the impact of the skills shortage; changes in the way software developers evaluate employers; and a fresh look at expanding the resource pool where software developers can be found. In addition to the literature review opinions of 11 purposively selected participants in the Westem Cape, which deal with this issue on a daily basis were obtained. For the research an interpretivist philosophy shaped the approach to a research strategy of grounded theory and data collection that was based on semi-structured interviews without pre-conceived theories, which gave the research its inductive and qualitative character. The research results presented findings that covered the following applicable areas: recruitment policies; minimum criteria that software developer candidates must meet; skill levels; desired characteristics; market related critical success factors; resource channels; evaluation processes and techniques in practise. In keeping with the approach to grounded theory research three major categories were identified namely: finding suitable software developers; the profile of a suitable software developer; and lastly, the approach to evaluate candidates. Analysis of the relationship between these categories and associated sub-categories led to the following conclusions: • in order to effectively assess a software developer's technical skill, it is necessary to administer a practical test or assignment; • formal and recognised tests of behavioural characteristics are not essential to form an accurate assessment of a candidate's character, but is advisable; • recruitment agencies may well be most effective as a source of candidates but cannot be regarded as the most effective channel to find suitable candidates. Herein lies a comparison of quantity versus quality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om 'n effektiewe en gepaste raamwerk of proses te identifiseer vir die evaluasie van sagteware programmeerders. 'n Kritiese oorsig van bestaande literatuur op die onderwerp het laat blyk dat verskeie faktore 'n invloed het op die evaluasie van programmeerders met die oog op indiensstelling. Hierdie faktare sluit in die impak van die huidige vaardigheids tekort; verandering in die wyse waarop programmeerders potentiële werkgewers evalueer; en vernuwe denke met betrekking tot bronne waar sagteware programmeerders gevind kan word. Tot aanvulling van die literatuur is opinies op die onderwerp van 11 doel-geselekteerde verteenwoordigers van organisasies in die Wes-Kaap ingewin. 'n Navorsing strategie van 'gegronde teorie' and data insameling by wyse van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevolg. Versigtigheid om nie vooropgestelde idees en teorieë te laat geld nie het aan die navorsing 'n induktiewe en kwalitatiewe karakter gegee. Die bevindinge het die volgende toepaslike areas gedek: werwings beleid ; minimum kriteria waaraan programmerings-kandidate moet voldoen; vaardigheidsvlakke; verlangde karakter eienskappe; mark-verwante kritiese sukses faktore; werwings bronne; evaluasie prosesse en tegnieke. Onder leiding van die benadering tot gegronde teorie is die volgende drie hoof kategorieë geïdentifiseer: die vind van gepaste programmeerders; die protfel van 'n gepaste programmeerder en laastens, die benadering tot evaluasie van kandidate. Analise van die verwantskappe tussen hierdie, sowel as sub-kategorieë het tot die volgende slotsom gelei: • die afneming van 'n praktiese toets of taak is noodsaaklik vir effektiewe evaluasie van 'n programmeerder se tegniese vaardigheid; • formele en erkende toetse van gedrags eienskappe is nie noodsaaklik nie, maar wel aanbevole, om 'n akkurate beeld van 'n kandidaat se karakter te vorm; • werwings-agentskappe mag 'n effektiewe bron van kandidate wees, maar kan nie beskou word as die mees effektiewe bron van gepaste kandidate nie. 'n Vergelyking tussen kwaliteit en kwantiteit is hier ter sprake.

Introduction : L’évaluation des apprentissages a une importance indéniable en pédagogie des sciences de la santé et l’utilisation d’examens écrits est omniprésente, notamment en médecine. Toutefois, l’élaboration d’évaluations de haute qualité est souvent un défi pour les rédacteurs et les programmes. Il est donc important d’identifier des stratégies qui pourraient faciliter le travail des rédacteurs tout en ayant un impact positif sur la qualité des questions écrites, notamment l’utilisation de consignes lors de la rédaction. Méthodologie : Nous avons élaboré une liste de consignes de rédaction de questions d’examens par un processus itératif et rigoureux. 14 consignes discriminantes ont été retenues. À l’aide d’une étude de cas multiples, nous avons exploré l’utilisation de ces consignes de rédaction de questions auprès de quatre rédacteurs pour des examens d’un programme préclinique de médecine. Un questionnaire et une entrevue individuelle semi-dirigée ont été effectués pré et post utilisation des consignes. Les unités d’analyses et de comparaison étaient : la qualité et les propriétés psychométriques des questions pré et post utilisation des consignes, l’acceptabilité et l’utilisation de celles-ci. Résultats : Pour tous les participants, les questions rédigées respectaient majoritairement les consignes de rédaction. Quoique non statistiquement significative, nous avons observé une légère augmentation du coefficient de discrimination chez les rédacteurs (2 sur 4) qui utilisaient les consignes de manière active. Nos résultats suggèrent que l’appropriation que font les rédacteurs des consignes semble influencer leur perception de l’utilité et de l’acceptabilité des consignes. Conclusion : Les résultats obtenus semblent suggérer que l’utilisation d’une liste circonscrite de consignes de rédaction offre une bonne stratégie à adopter pour améliorer la qualité des questions. Les rédacteurs de questions qui sont mieux outillés et qui semblent adopter pleinement l'utilisation des consignes de rédaction y voient les impacts positifs sur la qualité de leurs questions. / Abstract : Introduction : The assessment of learners has an undeniable importance in health professions education and the use of written exams is omnipresent, notably in medicine. However, developing high-quality assessment is often a challenge for administrators and exam developers. It is therefore important to identify strategies that could facilitate their work while having a positive impact on the quality of the written exam questions, including the use of guidelines when developing exams. Methodology : We created a list of item-writing guidelines through a rigorous and systematic process. We identified 14 discriminant guidelines. Using a multiple case study, we explored the use of those questions writing guidelines with four exam developers at the preclinical phase of an undergraduate medicine program. A questionnaire was completed and a semi-directed individual interview was carried out before and after the use of guidelines. The units of analysis and comparison were: the quality and psychometric properties of questions pre- and post-use of the guidelines, the acceptability and the use of these guidelines. Results : For all the participants, the written questions respected mostly the instructions of drafting. Although not statistically significant, we observed a slight increase in the coefficient of discrimination among editors who actively used the instructions. Our results suggest that participants’ appropriation of the item-writing guidelines seemed to influence their perception of the usefulness and acceptability of instructions. Conclusion : The results seem to suggest that the use of a narrow list of writting guidelines provides a good strategy for improving the quality of the questions. Exam developers that are better equipped and seem to fully adopt the use of drafting guidelines see the positive impacts on the quality of their questions.

Les entreprises de promotion immobilière sont devenues depuis plusieurs années des acteurs importants de l’aménagement urbain. Elles s’orientent progressivement vers de nouveaux secteurs et enjeux de la production de la ville. Ainsi seraient-elles passées de leur métier d’origine à celui « d’opérateurs urbains ». Cette évolution se situe au croisement de l’exigence d’une compréhension des évolutions du marché de l’aménagement des villes, liée au retrait ou au changement de mode d’intervention des acteurs publics, et d’une rentabilité financière qui structure l’action de ces entreprises. Cela représente un changement de paradigme, pour certaines entreprises de promotion immobilière, dans leur façon de penser et d’appréhender la production la ville ainsi que dans leur positionnement au sein des organisations qui se structurent pour aménager les villes. Dans le champ de l'aménagement urbain, ce positionnement s’organise souvent au travers de la mobilisation des notions d’innovation et d’expérimentation. Cette mobilisation peut s’élaborer dans le cadre d’organisations spécifiques de l’action collective où les promoteurs immobiliers sont régulièrement présents. C’est le cas, par exemple, des consortiums publics-privés réunissant des acteurs institutionnels, des grands groupes internationaux de promotion immobilière, des startups et des experts, entre autres. Ces organisations qui sont elles-mêmes présentées comme novatrices s’organisent pour produire un ensemble de dispositifs dits innovants, qui vont du think-tank au projet urbain. Nous nous intéressons en particulier au projet urbain, car l’investissement des promoteurs immobiliers y est singulier : il s’articule de plus en plus couramment autour de la fonction de coordinateur du projet lors de ses différentes phases. Nous avons étudié des projets urbains présentés, par les promoteurs immobiliers, comme innovants en France dans la commune d’Issy-les-Moulineaux et au Mexique au sein de la délégation Miguel Hidalgo. Les façons dont l’innovation et l’expérimentation sont mobilisées, au sein de ces contextes, traduit des ambitions et des perspectives tout à fait différentes. À Issy-les-Moulineaux, le discours de la collectivité territoriale et des promoteurs immobiliers de l’écoquartier du Fort s’articule plutôt autour de la référence aux multiples variantes de la ville intelligente et des nouvelles technologies alors qu’à Miguel Hidalgo, il s’agit avec le projet Plaza Carso, d’un renouvellement de la rhétorique sécuritaire autour du concept, déjà bien connu, du « all included ». Ce que nous avons également pu observer, en France comme au Mexique, c’est que ces projets ont le plus souvent vocation à être positionnés sur le segment de marché du haut de gamme afin, entre autres, d’amortir les investissements qu’ils ont engendré. Ainsi, nous les identifions comme des « projets urbains de standing ». Il s’agit d’opérations qui, au travers de leurs ambitions, de leur médiatisation et des moyens financiers mobilisés par les acteurs du projet, se distinguent des autres modalités d’intervention sur le territoire. Nos questions de recherche reposent sur l’idée que les projets urbains de standing sont des analyseurs des transformations à l’œuvre dans la façon de concevoir et de gérer la ville, car ils reposent sur un investissement important des grandes entreprises de promotion immobilière, sur une évolution de leurs relations avec les responsables politiques locaux et, plus généralement, sur l’ambition de capter des comportements émergents et de commercialiser des produits innovants. On assiste à un processus qui relève en même temps d’un phénomène marketing et d’une évolution des enjeux et des normes de la production du projet urbain. Celui-ci, envisagé comme un laboratoire in vivo, participe, en France comme au Mexique, du développement d’un urbanisme dérogatoire dont l’une des finalités et de libérer l’action de certains opérateurs privés de l’aménagement urbain / Real-estate companies became important stake holders within the city planning process. They moved to new stakes and spaces of urban planning. We suggest that one of the reasons of these new challenges is that some big real-estate companies are focused the themes of innovation and experimentation and are more and more characterized by their involvement within the public – private organizations. This search for innovative proposals has led several organisational transformations within the mix of urban project stakeholder groups. The hegemonic tendency of the real-estate companies can be organized around several phases of urban projects: conception, construction, monitoring, management, etc. Its means that some real-estate companies are not only in charge of the construction phase of urban projects – like they use to be – because they also conquered new phases that participate to the elaboration and to the operational process of urban projects. This recent evolution is linked with strategic views, coming from these companies, on the way they think about urban planning and on the notion of quality of life. It represents, for this type of companies, a change of paradigm in the way of conceiving the production of urban space, but it also represents an evolution of the internal organization of public – private partnership. As several members of a French real-estate companies put it during our interviews, this change involves a new title: they evolve from real estate developers to “urban operators”. We saw, in our fieldwork, that it has led to various developments, such as: a change of temporal perspective, from short term commitment they move towards mid or long-term outlooks. Being “urban operators” also means that they have to be very cognisant about new lifestyles, new kinds of behaviours and needs, because it affects their marketing power. Thirdly, companies are sensitive and even greedy about information that concerns how people react to their proposals. This has led to several organizational transformations with, for instance, the emergence of new kinds of “research and development” areas, specific investments funds, contracts with social science researchers, etc. We studied two contexts in particular: flagship urban projects within the urban renovation process in France and in Mexico. With two cases: Plaza Carso in Mexico and the eco neighbourhood du Fort in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris. The ranking of flagships projects is a strong trigger for innovation. Plaza Carso and the Fort are characterized by a very strong involvement of real-estate companies that rebuilt the relationship with the local authorities. In both situations, real-estate companies had benefitted from legal specificities, and even legal liberalization in the Mexican case, to develop the project